Refrigerator dispenser for concentrates



March 19, 1957 c, c. BAUl-:RLEIN REFRIGERATOR DISPENSER FOR ooNcENTRATEs Filed Jan. 7, 1954 l-TZVEZY REFRIGERATOR DISPENSER FOR CONCENTRATES assignor to The Chicago, Ill., a corporation of This invention relatesto improvements in dispensers, for diluting and dispensing fluids or concentrates, and more particularly relates to such a dispenser adapted to be contained within a refrigerator, to receive its diluting iiuid from a fluid connection within the refrigerator.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a simple and e'cient form of dispenser for diluting and dispensing concentrates, such as concentrated fruit juices, milk malts, liquors, colas and the like` directly from a refrigerator.

A further object of my invention is to provide a dispenser for use in a refrigerator in which the diluting water for the concentrate is obtained from a water connection within the refrigerator.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a dispenser for dispensing and mixing concentrates and the like from a container Within a refrigerator having a diluting water connection within a refrigerator, and having a two way valve connected to the diluting water connection for supplying either cold water or a uniformly mixed and diluted juice and the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide an efficient form of dispenser for dispensing concentrates directly from a refrigerator, wherein the concentrate is mixed with a cold diluting fluid within the refrigerator by the aspirating action of the fluid passing through the throat of a Venturi, and wherein a constant volume resilient flow-control annulus is provided on the upstream side of the Venturi for supplying a constant volume of mixing water regardless of variations in pressure of the water at its source.

Still another object of my invention is to' provide a novel and simple form of dispenser for concentrates or fluids, for mixing the concentrate or fluid while within a refrigerator by the aspirating action of a Venturi having a check valve on the downstream side of the throat thereof, to prevent the back flow of diluting concentrate into the Venturi at the completion of the dispensing operation.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel and simple form of dispenser for concentrates or fluids, for diluting and dispensing concentrates or uids directly from a refrigerator or the like, in which a Venturi is placed in a concentrate container adjacent the bottom thereof and has communication with the container through a vacuum chamber on the downstream side of the Venturi, and in which a two way valve is pro vided to supply water from the refrigerator to the Venturi, to mix with the concentrate or to supply clear water for drinking purposes. l

These and other objects of my invention will appear from time to time as the following specilication proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a front end view of a refrigerator with the door open, and showing a concentrate dispenser constructed in accordance with my invention within the refrigerator and connected to a water supply line directly connected in the refrigerator.

` nited States Patent O A 2,785,546 Patented Mar. 19, 1957 Figure 2 is a partial fragmentary sectional view taken through the concentrate dispenser shown in Figure 1, and showing certain details of the flow-control valve and the Venturi and check valve of the dispenser in section.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, I have shown in Figure l a dispenser or fluid proportioner 10 contained within a refrigerator 11 and connected with a water supply line 12 piped within the refrigerator, for diluting a concentrate or fluid from within the refrigerator to the normal consistency of the juice of the fresh natural fruit or vegetable or the like from which the concentrate is formed and to deliver a cool, uniformly mixed juice for drinking purposes.

The dispenser 10 is shown as including a container 13 for the concentrate which may be of a generally cylindrical form having a Venturi 15 adjacent the bottom thereof. A two-way valve 16 for water is shown as having a uniform delivery volume resilient annular flow-control member or valve 17 on the upstream side thereof. A conduit 19 leads from the body of the valve 16 and has a downwardly opening spout 20 on the end thereof for delivering cold water when the valve 16 is in one position. A conduit 21 is shown as leading from the valve 16 to the upstream side of the Venturi 1.5, for delivering diluting water to the Venturi. A check valve 22 is on the downstream side of the Venturi 15 adjacent the bottom of the container, and a conduit 23 leads upwardly from said check valve and has a downwardly opening spout 24 on the end thereof, for delivering a uniformly mixed drink to a glass or the like.

As herein shown, the water line or conduit 12 leading from within the refrigerator is connected with a tting 25 threaded on a nipple 26 extending upwardly from a body 27 for the valve 16. The conduit 12 may be iiexible to enable the conduits 21 and 23 and the Venturi 15 to be lifted above the container 13 for insertion therein and removal therefrom.

The nipple 26 is shown as having an internal seat 27 for a flow-control valve 17, for supplying a uniform volume of water at the delivery side of said valve, regardless of variations in pressure of the water in the water line 12. As herein shown, the flow-control valve 17 is a form of a resilient annulus which deforms into a passageway 31 and the seat for the valve upon increases in pressure on the water and reduces the flow area of the orifice through the annulus, to maintain the volume of water flowing thereto uniform as the pressure varies, as in Patent No. 2,389,134, which issued to Clyde A. Brown on November 20, 1945, so not herein shown or described further.

The valve 16 may be of any well-known form of two way shut-oi valve and is no part of my present inven- ,tion so is not herein shown or described in detail, except to point out that the valve is provided with two valve plungers 32 and 33. When one plunger 32 is depressed, water will ow through the conduit 21 to dilute and dispense a concentrate to the consistency of the fresh fruit or vegetable from which the concentrate is made. When the other plunger is depressed, ice water will bedelivered to the conduit 19 and spout 20.

The plungers 32 and 33 are shown as being alternately operated by means of a pivoted operating lever 34, shown as extending along and beyond the spouts 20 and 24;. The operating lever 34 is pivoted on an ear 35 on a pivot pin 36. The ear 35 extends outwardly from lone side of the valve body 27. The operating lever 34has opposite- 1y extending upright arms 37 and 39, the arm 37 being engageable with the plunger 32 and the arm 39 being engageable with the plunger 33. Thus when the lever 34 is pivoted in an upward direction the plunger 32 will be depressed to open the valve (not shown) controlled thereby to deliver water to the Venturi 15 and dilute and `deliver a juice of the consistency of the fresh fruit or vegetable from which :the concentrate within the container 13 may be made. When the lever 34 is pivoted in an opposite direction the plunger 33 is depressed lto deliver ice water through the spout 2t).

The conduit 21 is shown as extending downwardly within the container 13 and as having a right angle bend alt its lower end extending within and secured to a body 41 of the Venturi 15. The body of the Venturi 15 may be of a transparent Lucite, or like material, to enable the presence of dirt within the Venturi to be readily detected. The body 41 is shown as having an inlet passageway 43 therein, communicating with the base of a frusto-conical passageway 44, forming the upstream side of the Venturi. The apex. of the passageway 44, leads into 'a reduced diameter throat 45 of the Venturi. The throat 45 terminates into a vacuum chamber 46, which in turn communicates with an inverted truncated cone-like passageway 47 communicating with an elbow 49 on a downstream side of the valve body 41. The elbow 49 has an upwardly facing discharge end 50 shown as being engaged by a ball 51 ofthe check valve 22.

Leading downwardly from the vacuum chamber 46 is a passageway 53, which communicates with a transverse passageway 54 extending across the valve body 41 and opening to opposite sides thereof. The transverse passageway 54 is shown as being positioned adjacent the bottom of the container 13, to assure 'the aspiration of all of the concentrate from said container.

At the discharge end of the elbow 49 is a cage 55 for the ball S1 of the check valve 22. The cage 55 is shown as having an enlarged diameter chamber 56 for the ball 51, to assure free movement of said ball within said cage when iiuid under pressure passes through ,the Venturi. The cage 55 is shown as having the lower end of the conduit 23 secured thereto and extending therefrom, to conduct the proportioned concentrate to said conduit for dispensing through the spout 24 thereof.

It may be seen from the foregoing that when the Venturi 15 is placed within the container 13 and the lever 34 is moved upwardly to depress the plunger 32, that water under pressure will enter the Venturi 43 under the control of the flow-control valve 29, and draw the concentrate through the passageway 54 into the vacuum chamber 46 and uniformly mix the water with the concentrate in accordance with the volume of the vacuum chamber 46, as well as the diameter of the throat 45 of the Venturi. The concentrate being uniformly mixed by the aspirating water will then unseat the check valve 51 by the pressure of thewa'ter thereagainst, and discharge the concentrate through the downwardly opening spout 24 into a glass or the like. As soon, however, as the water is turned ofi, the ball 51. will seat on the end d of the elbow 49, blocking the flow of concentrate back into the Venturi 47, and thus avoiding dilution of the concentrate in the container 13.

it may further be seen that a novel and simplified form of dispenser for dispensing concentrates directly from a refrigerator has been provided in which the Venturi is located in the bottom of the container for the concentrate and is always primed as long as there is concentrate in ithe container.

It may further be seen that Lthe dispenser is operable to deliver either ice water or a cold concentrate of @the consistency of the fresh fruit or vegetable from which the concentrate is made, and that when it is desired to refill the concentrate container, or clean the Venturi, it is simply necessary to lift the cover 4G from the container and remove the conduits 21 and 23 and Venturi 15 therefrom as a unit.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected in the present invention without departing from the spirit vand scope thereof.

l claim as my invention:

1. In a dispenser for dispensing concentrates directly from a refrigerator, a concentrate container, a Venturi associated with said container for dispensing concentrate therefrom, a water line for connection with a source of water in a refrigerator, a two-way valve connected in said water line having a flow-control annulus on the upstream side thereof, a conduit .for water leading from said valve and having a spout spaced from said container for delivering ice water when the valve is in one position, a second conduit for water leading from said valve and having connection with the upstream side of said Venturi for diluting the concentrate in said container and delivera iuice of the consistency of the fresh fruit, and an operating lever for said valve movable in one position to effect the delivery of mixed juice and into another position to effect the delivery of ice water.

2. ln a dispenser particularly adapted for refrigerators, a concentrate container, a Venturi extending along the bottom of said container and having a restricted throat and a vacuum chamber on the downstream side of said throat, a communicating passageway between said vacuum chamber' and said container, a fitting for attachment to a water fitting within a refrigerator and having a constant volume flow-control annulus therein, a valve on the downstream side of said fitting, a conduit connecting said valve to said Venturi, and another conduit connected with the downstream side of said Venturi and having a spout on the end thereof directed to deliver a mixed concentrate to -a glass or the like.

3. A dispenser particularly adapted for refrigerators comprising a concentrate container, a Venturi associated with said container for dispensing concentrate therefrom, a water line for connection with a source of water in a refrigerator, valve means connected in said water line and having a how-control annulus seated `on the upstream side thereof, a conduit leading from said valve means and having a spout extending over and beyond said container, a second conduit leading from said valve means and having connection with the upstream side of said Venturi for proportioning a concentrate in said container and delivering a proportioned drink, and operating means for said valve means to effect the delivery of a selected drink.

4. 1n a refrigerator dispenser, a concentrate container, a Venturi having liuid connection with said container for dispensing a concentrate therefrom, -a water line for connection with a source of water in a refrigerator, valve rneans connected in said water line, a conduit connecting said valve means with the upstream side of. said Venturi, flow control means associated with said valve means on the upstream side of said Venturi, for providing a substantially constant rate of flow of water Ito said Venturi under varying pressure conditions to uniformly proportion the concentrate for drinking, a second conduit leading from said valve means and having a spout extending beyond said container, said valve means being a twoway valve means, and operating means for selectively operating said valve means to effect the delivery of a selected drink.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS 1,332,945 Holderle Mar. 9, 1920 1,435,883 Spohn Nov. 14, 1922 2,657,859 Wangenheim Nov. 9, 1953 

